Southland region

Surface Water Zone: Waihopai Surface Water Zone

The Waihopai surface water zone covers the entire Waihopai River catchment and also the coastline stretching from west of the Fortrose Estuary to the Waihopai Arm of the New River Estuary in Invercargill. The Waihopai River originates in the gently rolling hills above the lower Mataura River valley, to the north of Morton Mains, before flowing west – south west for 30 km. The Waihopai River and its major tributary Spurhead Creek drain intensively farmed land.

The Waihopai River and its tributaries have been greatly modified over the years. Formerly a sinuous stream that meandered across its floodplain, the Waihopai now flows through straightened channels and is constrained between flood banks, especially in its lower reaches. A flood retention dam has also been built on the outskirts of Invercargill city to hold back large flow events from flooding low lying urban and industrial surrounds. Original land cover in the Waihopai catchment undoubtedly consisted of large wetland and bog areas with large expanses of native bush as well. This has largely been drained and cleared to produce the productive farm land seen today. Apart from the Waihopai River catchment itself, a large tract of the Waihopai surface water zone is basically an unmodified wetland area. This includes the internationally significant Waituna wetlands on the Awarua Plains. There are a number of small streams that drain the Waihopai zone. Two of these creeks, the Otepuni and Kingswell, flow through Invercargill city and have historically caused flood damage to the city’s infrastructure and residential property. Both creeks now are largely contained by major flood protection works including flood retention dams on the Invercargill city eastern boundary. Environment Southland has six permanent water level and three automatic rainfall recording sites. These sites provide flood-warning information and also other important hydrological information. There are currently low levels of surface water allocation in the Waihopai surface water zone.

Water Use

Surface Water in this Zone

Regional councils collect information about how much water is available and manage resource consents for
those wishing to take water from rivers and streams. Use the buttons below to view information on: how
much water is available, where it comes from and how its used.

Rainfall and runoff

The table above shows the average amount of rainfall the water management zone receives each year and how much of that flows
out to sea. These are approximate figures only.

Water consents: How much water is consented and used?

Surface water available to consent

Show Hide

Consented water in this surface water zone

Use the tables below to look at how much water is available compared with how much is actually consented within this water
management zone. Click the plus to expand subzones where available

{{item.zoneId}}

Comparing consents and use

Amount available to consent

In this surface water management zone: {{item.data.totalAvailableAmount}} {{item.data.totalAvailableUnits}}available to consent

Amount consented measured and non measured

Amount used (measured)

Amount

Units

Consented or used as a percentage of available

Total available to consent

{{item.data.totalAvailableAmount}}

{{item.data.totalAvailableAmount}}

{{item.data.totalAvailableUnits}}

Total consented

{{item.data.totalConsented.amount}}

{{item.data.totalConsented.amount}}

{{item.data.totalAvailableUnits}}

{{item.data.totalConsented.percentText}}

Total consented and measured

{{item.data.totalMeasured.amount}}

{{item.data.totalMeasured.amount}}

{{item.data.totalAvailableUnits}}

{{item.data.totalMeasured.percentText}}

Total measured amount used

{{item.data.totalAmountUsed.amount}}

{{item.data.totalAvailableUnits}}

{{item.data.totalAmountUsed.percentText}}

Total measured volume used

{{item.data.totalAnnualVolumeUsed}}

{{item.data.totalAnnualVolumeUnits}}

The table above shows the amount of water that is available for use compared to the amount that has been consented.
The ‘Total Consented’ and ‘Total Consented and Measured’ fields are based on percentages of the ‘Total available to Consent’
field. If this field is not populated no data will be displayed. Some consents require actual use to be monitored and this
is presented as 'Total measured volume Used' where available.

Water consents: How is consented water used?

Consents by use in this surface water zone

Show Hide

Consented water

Overall annual volume for {{waterAvailable.year}}

Relative breakdown

Activity

Percentage of total consented

Total volume

Number of consents

{{item.displayText}}

-

-

No data available

{{item.breakdownPercentage}}%

{{item.totalVolume}} m3

{{item.numberOfConsents}}

Total

{{waterUsage.total.percentageConsented}}%

{{waterUsage.total.totalVolume}} m3

{{waterUsage.total.numberOfConsents}}

The above table shows the proportion of water consented for irrigation, industrial, stock, town supply and other.
It excludes hydro electricity. In this region/management zone {{hydroUsage.totalVolume}} m3/year is consented for hydro-electricity and makes
up {{hydroUsage.percentageConsented}}% of the total water volume consented for this region/management zone